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Decision or Drift: The Question That Changes Everything About How You Follow Jesus

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Every single day, you're either making a decision — or drifting into one. In this episode of Midweek Motivation, Jess and Rachel unpack one of the most honest conversations about faith, focus, and following Jesus you'll hear. Using Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken" as a jumping-off point, they dig into what it actually looks like to choose a direction — and what pulls us off course when we're not paying attention.

Discover:

  • The real difference between decision and drift — and why "not deciding" is still a choice
  • What analysis paralysis, people pleasing, and comfort have in common (and how they stall your faith)
  • Why knowing your target is the first step to staying on course
  • The power of protecting intentional space for God — including spiritual retreats, daily Scripture, and prayer
  • What it looks and feels like to experience God in a way that moves faith from your head to your heart to your feet
  • How Rachel's house offer, Jess's financial decisions, and a late-night chip craving all connect to the same spiritual principle
  • What Matthew and the rich young ruler teach us about going all in versus almost leaning in

Reflection paragraph: Drift doesn't announce itself. It's the slow pull of comfort, distraction, and urgency that gradually moves you away from the direction you chose. But the good news is that every moment is an invitation to re-engage — to quiet the noise, ask Jesus to lead, and take one intentional step forward. Decision isn't a one-time moment. It's a posture you choose over and over again.

Key Takeaways:

  • Not deciding is deciding — drift is always the default when intention is absent
  • Know your target: vague goals make drift easy; clear direction makes decisions for you
  • Protect your space with God — experiences with him move faith from head to heart to feet
  • Filter decisions through Scripture, trusted community, and prayer — not just what feels right
  • Faith over fear is a choice you have to keep making, not a feeling you wait for
  • Leaning in requires ownership — receiving the gift of Jesus means engaging with what that actually means

Question for you to think about: Where in your life right now are you drifting — and what would it look like to make an intentional decision instead?

Calls to Action: If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who's standing at a fork right now — and subscribe so you never miss a new episode. Drop a comment below: What's one area of your life where you're choosing decision over drift?

Hashtags: #MidweekMotivation #WestsideCommunitychurch #DecisionOrDrift #ChristianPodcast #FaithOverFear #FollowingJesus #ChristianLiving #SpiritualGrowth #Intentional #Discipleship #BiblicalDecisions #FaithWalk #JesusFollower #TakeTheLeap #RoadNotTaken

SPEAKER_01

I literally put it as a screensaver on my phone, um, for the inside part of my phone. It's for God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. Yeah. And we keep reminding ourselves that. Like if we start to feel the fear creep in, it's like, hold on, that ain't us. That ain't God.

SPEAKER_00

Welcome to the Midweek Motivation Podcast, where we bring practical help for your faith and life. Here's today's episode.

SPEAKER_02

Hey guys, welcome to this week's Midweek Motivation. I'm Jess, and this is Rachel. And we are uh jumping into a fun conversation. Oh yeah, this is a good one. Yeah, I love it. Okay, so I gotta ask you have you ever heard the um poem by Robert Frost called The Road Not Taken?

SPEAKER_01

I have heard of it, but I've never actually, well, like until today, like really heard it.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it's uh I'm not gonna read the whole poem, but it basically it's about this guy who's standing at a fork and he's got a decision to make, right? Which way, which path is he gonna walk, which one? Yep. And the poem is beautiful, you should check it out if you haven't heard it. Um, but he goes on talking about like the path that he ended up choosing and why and the end result of taking of choosing that path. Yeah. And that's kind of what we're talking about today, right? The decision.

SPEAKER_01

Making that decision. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Um, so I'm really excited. I think that uh that this is a really important conversation as it relates to life decision, as it as it relates to life really. Yeah. And um, but very specifically we're talking about faith. You know, yeah. So um what do you think are, just out of curiosity, what do you think are um the what's the tension around making a decision?

SPEAKER_01

Hmm, like some of the things that might hold us back from choosing maybe the right or the harder or the whatever decision. Yeah. I feel like for me, I think about, and I think a lot of other people I know, it's okay, would I do I really wanna do this or do I want to be comfortable? You know, do I know this is gonna take more of me to make this other decision? Yeah. Um, it's not something I know, you know, it's like, okay, am I gonna do the thing I ke I know but I don't really like, or am I gonna do something that's probably gonna change my life for the better, but it might be take more of me. Um so that fear maybe the unknown. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Do I know if this is gonna change my life for the better? Right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

The unknown. Yeah. What obstacles am I gonna face? Yes, right? Yeah, am I gonna run into flying monkeys in the forest or what's gonna happen? Yeah. Or yeah. So things like that, it's but I don't know. What do you think? What are some other things?

SPEAKER_02

I think I think for me personally, I've run into not wanting to make a decision. Like maybe just being paralyzed. Yes, the an what is it, analysis paralysis? Yeah, yeah. Or being comfortable where I'm at. Yeah. And so I'm okay with just coasting.

SPEAKER_01

Yes.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Uh doesn't Jesus call that being lukewarm? Oh, yeah. He calls us to totally not do that.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yep.

unknown

For sure.

SPEAKER_02

Um, let's see. I think uh leaning into maybe uh the wrong influences in making decisions. Yes. Leaning into um uh I don't like listening to people um who are coaching in a direction that um where it's easier just to like be like, yeah, okay, I'll do what you say.

SPEAKER_01

Or that it sounds just right enough.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

It's kind of like, yeah, that's probably the right thing to do. But going back to what you and Pastor Gabe talked about a couple last, I don't remember which one, a couple of weeks ago. Yes, the discernment wheel is so it's like, okay, that sounds right enough, but does it check all the boxes? Yeah. So that kind of thing, and also people pleasing. I myself for sure tend to want to just say yes, but is this the right thing for me to do right now? Is this something that God calls me to do right now? That's another one.

SPEAKER_02

Avoiding a conflict or avoiding the rub of saying, uh no, that's not right. Right. Or it's not right for right now, or whatever the situation might be. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. That's cool. Well, that's what we're talking about, right? It's making it uh it's being dis it's uh uh the topic that we're covering is decision versus drift, right? And so I love the that picture of standing at the fork of a road and making a decision one way or the other. Right. Um I think that that it's a beautiful picture that we can all relate to on some level. Yeah. And still had to make decisions. Yeah, yeah. And then it like specifically as it relates as it relates to faith, it's uh, you know, there you stand at the fork at a fork in the road sometimes and and you have to decide. Yeah. But where it differs, I think, is that sometimes that's a moment-to-moment decision. Yeah. Not sometimes, all the time.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. That's true. We can plan out some decisions, but also there's that yeah, right now this has to I have to decide something now. Yeah. Or also if I'm not deciding something right now, I'm I'm automatically deciding the other thing. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

So there's always the potential for drift, right? Like, like the difference is when you're standing at the fork of the road and you say, I'm going this way, then the path is marked out in front of you.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Um, but um, the truth that we know about deciding to follow Jesus is even though the path is marked out in front of us, there's always potential for us to to to go off of the trail. Right.

SPEAKER_01

And it's almost like in business or math terms, it's like the opportunity cost.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Right.

SPEAKER_01

If I say yes to this, what am I saying no to kind of thing? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. So that's the tension that we're really um working through and talking about right now, right? Yeah. Um, okay, well, so that um being the topic, like what do you what do you think um is involved in what do you think the where do you think the rub is? Where do you think that we wrestle with the drift on a regular basis?

SPEAKER_01

Hmm. Where do we wrestle with the drift?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Like what pulls us off of a decision that we're making?

SPEAKER_01

Ooh. That's to me, it's like the immediate versus the eternal. Yeah. Am I thinking about what's right in front of me, what seems urgent, what seems like it needs an answer right now? Yeah. Um, I had a friend once tell me, just because somebody asks you something doesn't mean you have to answer them. Like if it's something you're uncomfortable answering, if it's something that they're not prepared to hear the answer for, if it's whatever, right? And so um it's kind of like that seems super urgent to answer, but is that actually is am I actually taking an eternal perspective and saying what's the actual most important thing right now?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. What's that? That's cool. I can't I can't help but think in terms of like targets and goals. Yeah. I think I've just grown up um to think that way and I've been steeped in that culture for such a long time. Um, but I think that um I think that we can like these topics kind of parallel each other when we're walking when we're talking about making a decision in faith and making a decision about anything else. Like I think the um the struggle is that it's so easy to drift when you don't know where you're actually going. Yeah. Right? Yes. And so when you talk about like the immediate versus the eternal, I like to me it's about vision. It's about like where, what direction are we actually going and do we know what that is? And then making the dis the decision to actually go there. Right. And that makes a whole bunch of decisions for you.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, right. You've talked to me about it in regard to um like some people saying, I will not use recreational drugs, you know, and it's like I've made that decision, I'm not doing that, period. Yeah, you know, so it's like we can we can talk about that with our faith. Like, am I choosing to only follow God, or am I choosing to follow this cool podcaster who I know doesn't believe in God and kind of shares some stuff that's maybe not in alignment with my what I believe and agree with, but uh it's probably not that bad. Yeah, you know, kind of stuff.

SPEAKER_02

So well, and and then the like that immediate thing that you're talking about too, like that that push of what is getting your attention right now? It it's so easy to get distracted by that thing. Like I am exactly your cell phone, yeah. Like uh last night, um, my hubs and I have this box of Costco like bags of chips, and I'm trying to be healthy. Yeah, but in how easy is it in the moment for you to be like, oh, it's 10 o'clock at night and I got the munchies all of a sudden. It's not gonna be that big deal, big of a deal if I get up and I just go like hit the freezer and get the ice cream or go and grab two bags of chips. I don't know about that. And so Rob and I will like we're in cahoots sometimes because they like we'll influence each other.

SPEAKER_01

Me and Puddy do the same thing.

SPEAKER_02

Like, hey, if you get up and go get some chips, then I'll have some too. You know what I mean? Like Yup. But what's the like what is the target? What's the end goal versus what what is the immediate like itch that you want to scratch? Or the immediate urgent thing that's in front of you that you feel like you have to deal with. Yeah. All those things can can be adrift if we're if we're not careful about that, right? Right. Yeah. Easily. So easily. Very cool. What do you think is um like what do you think is the thing that like for you what what helps to keep you aligned to the things that you're the things that I'm like reaching towards and believing in and all that kind of stuff.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Um I d I think we've even talked about this before. I feel like this has come up multiple times on this podcast in general, but it's being in the word, choosing to be in the word, um praying, uh uh taking time out on a regular basis to listen to God, and then filtering what I'm hearing through the Bible and other believers and people that I respect and trust. And um yeah, I think that's pretty much it.

SPEAKER_02

How how are you intentional about those things? The reason why I ask is because like it I think it's really like in in my own life, it's so easy to say, yeah, I do this, I do that, I do this, and these are the things that help me to stay on track and aligned. Um and but for me, I'm like a structure. This this is kind of what I'm getting at. Like, we've got to build structure around our our uh decisions, right? Yes. But I like naturally uh rebel against structure. Like I know I and I blame it on my creative mind. I think it's probably more just humanity in me. Yeah, but I know the things that will help me to be successful. Um and uh uh and I always come back around to them. Right, but I always buck them at some point in time.

SPEAKER_01

So what do you do? I know I I'm the same. For me, it's like I have gotten really good at creating structure around the Bible and not as much prayer and journaling. I want I'm working towards getting better at that, but every morning, even if it's just literally opening my Bible to read one psalm or one line of a psalm if I'm like running late, I'm like, I literally still opened my Bible and read this this part right here. Uh-huh. Um, and there's even some days where that doesn't happen, and then I hop on my Bible app and listen to the daily whatever on my way to wherever I'm going. So it's like, at least I'm doing that little thing. Yeah. And I've learned from other friends to not beat myself up about if that's what happens that day. Sure. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Um Is there is there something that you do intentionally with those things, even if they're small?

SPEAKER_01

Something I do intentionally with like with that time or with the the stuff I get from that time. Both. Um I guess what I do intentionally. I mean, I protect them, right? So, like, I've talked to you about doing spiritual retreats, and I do that once a year, and I just started a new job a month and a half ago, and I thought I'm not gonna be able to do my spiritual retreat this year, possibly. And I was like, okay, hold on. Literally two weeks before, I was like looking at my calendar, and I'm like, okay, I have this many days that I'm I could not do things and I can schedule it. And so I made it happen. Yeah. And I was intentional about that. And I don't know, I had I have had experiences on my spiritual treats that are massive. Like I just came to G I just started thinking, should I believe in this Jesus guy four years ago? Right. Okay, and then I love that so much.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Just the question. I think, I think I'm gonna try this Jesus guy.

SPEAKER_03

Yes.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Yeah. And then my last spiritual retreat that I did a month and a half ago, basically. Yeah. I had an experience where I felt the power of God and more than I've ever felt it. And it was kind of scary. And I was, I was like, oh my gosh, I know what people talk about now when they say the fear of God. Yeah. Because it's not just like, oh, I'm afraid of snakes, and you know, like, oh my gosh, there's a spider coming at me. It's like I heavily felt his power. Yeah. Like a snake has power too, right? I guess, but or a spider or whatever, they can bite me and technically kill me if they have poison or whatever. Right. Or it'll just hurt. But like God's power is not even comprehendable in our brains, really. Like, I can only understand a tiny bit of it.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

So I feel like just knowing that has helped me to really try to come back if I'm starting to feel myself drifting. Yeah. If I'm starting to lose some of the things breathing because of his power. Yeah. And that power is inside of me too. So reminding myself of that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

That reminds me of something that Pastor Gabe talked about this weekend about the fact that you have to actually like the more that you make space to actually experience God, the more that that um your faith is yours and that you are drawn, you know, to to follow him, right? Yeah. To make that decision.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Yeah. And also something Pastor Gabe said, I think in one of the walkthroughs of the new building, was God will show off in your life if you allow him to. Yeah. Yeah. And that to me is so inspiring to just think about that.

SPEAKER_02

I love that. That's so great. So so what I hear you saying is that you are intentional in making space for experiences with God and you protect that very specifically. Yes.

SPEAKER_01

Experiences with God. Yeah. Yeah. I can understand God by reading the Bible or talking to other people who believe in Him or listening to church sermons or whatever. But until I feel the experience in my own self, I'm probably not gonna um take it from my head to my heart and then to my feet.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_01

I love that.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. I think I like I do the same thing, you know, but my experiences, sometimes my experiences are big like that for sure. And sometimes my experiences are small. Yeah. Like sometimes it's like eking out that verse. Yeah. You know, and or that video, um, but being intentional about it. Okay, what is like how is God asking me to reset the way that I'm thinking right now?

SPEAKER_01

Yes. Even in a conversation with Cody the other day, I was feeling myself wanting to respond how I used to, and getting a little bit of an attitude or getting a little bit of ego or whatever, and wanting to respond like more irritably. Yeah. But then I was like, stop, hold on, think. Will that actually help anything right now? Will that help me? Will that help him? And I feel like that was like God. Is it God honoring?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

To be like, think about what you're gonna say right now. And we had a really productive conversation. Yeah, and it was really, really nice. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. So the intentionality is there. That's so that's so cool. Like also the experiences that we have with God when we step out and take a risk in something that we feel like he's calling us to.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, yeah. That ties back to the whole like letting him show off in your life, right? Am I opening my heart? Am I am I letting him use my hands to do something and yeah, actually make something happen? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

So like that as it relates to the discussion to our just main point, right? Which is decision or drift. Yeah. I love the like it's the target, right? Like that's the the those experiences with God and that understanding of him and learning more and more about him, like in the word and through prayer and all of that, yeah, helps us to like move from the immediate see focus to the eternal focus, don't you think?

SPEAKER_01

Yes, it definitely does. It helps us to think more and to align ourselves more with what would Jesus do? Yeah. Right? Yeah, for sure. I love it.

SPEAKER_02

Well, so okay, so when we're thinking about uh decision like versus drift, like and you're standing at the fork of the road, what do you think is the question? What's the what is it that that we're asking that helps to move us forward?

SPEAKER_01

I think it would be and I kind of want to hear if this is what you would say too. I want to hear your answer. But it's asking asking Jesus to lead me, to guide me. Um and sometimes he clearly guides us, and sometimes it's not as clear, but still just asking him to to lead us. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

It's the it's it's the making space question, right? Like am I making space for God to to lead me in that direction?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, and can I hear what he's saying? Yeah. Because I've quieted all the other things happening in and around me, and the noise and the all the other things that get my attention.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Hmm.

SPEAKER_02

My brain is I'm just thinking out loud right now. Yeah. So so the that whole idea of making space for Jesus and quieting all of the other stuff down, how do you I'll answer this question. So just asking you. Okay. Like I think it's important to be able to um identify the voices and the noise and the things that could be distracting from what it is that God's calling us to. I like I've been wrestling with like this big thing that God, you know, is asking me to walk into, right? And it's so like ironic sometimes how like different opportunities can all present themselves at the same time. Yes. And um, and so one of the things in my own life that I've been working through is huge, it's big, it's majorly financial, like preparing for retirement. Um, my uh um uh my mom wants to go on a cru an Alaskan cruise with me, and we haven't like hung out like that for forever. Yeah. Then um like an the opportunity to support the church in what's going on here is huge. And even before any of that stuff, like the preparing for for retirement and stuff, just the call to be better stewards of financial resources, you know what I mean? Yes, it's so so we're like, all right, uh like even before any of this stuff started, like my husband and I both committed to and really felt a call to be better stewards with our finances. And so we're like, okay, what does that mean for us? Like, let's define what being a better steward with our finances means. Yeah, I love that. Yeah. And so, how how does that change our behavior? What does the end goal look like? You know, all of those things filtered through scripture and through what it is that that God instructs us to do with when when we're stewarding anything, honestly. Yeah. And so we're like, okay, well, we're gonna start implement implementing these things and we're gonna reach for those goals.

SPEAKER_03

Right.

SPEAKER_02

And then um, then this opportunity, like a bunch of stuff, family stuff came up where I was like, okay, well, we need to help support family in these different ways. And it ended up being a financial like impact. Yeah. But those are things so. So do then my mom wants to go on this cruise. So then we've got also this like opportunity to support the church, which I am like one I'm so pumped for and so excited for. And so all of the things, like they're all good things, but but how is God directing us? And does that pull us from the the big thing? Like, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01

Or can they all happen if you allow God to really bless you and everybody in the situation? That's a fantastic question.

SPEAKER_03

Right.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Yeah. Are we even limiting what he trying to limit what he can do?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Yeah. And so in all of that, like my husband and I have been like prayerfully having discussions about what next steps are and how we can not drift in those decisions, right? Right. But to be really intentional. I don't, what about you? Like, what do you think? Uh um, what do you think that so back to that original question? What do you think that it looks like to make space for God, for Jesus in that, in living in that?

SPEAKER_01

Uh I think it's, yeah, being intentional. I love what you said about kind of carving out what do what do we look like if we're people that do this? Yeah. You know, and um I've even done it with with things like cars with my husband, with places I've lived. Yeah. It's like, what are the things that I'm looking for in this scenario? Yeah. What do I want out of this situation? And um presenting that to God and being like, okay, this is exactly what I'm looking for within this these bounds. Yeah. And he has showed up so many times. Yeah. And uh, we just put an offer in in a house and our offer got accepted over another one. And so we're like, what? And it's like this is like the biggest purchase by bar we've ever made. Yeah. Um, and so it's it's a little bit scary and it's a little bit um exciting and uh all that kind of stuff. And so it's like, do we we've been wrestling with like kind of almost being afraid of like what if this happens or what if that happens and we can't financially whatever. And it's kind of just like I literally put it as a screensaver on my phone for the inside part of my phone. It's for God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. Yeah. And we keep reminding ourselves that, like if we start to feel the fear creep in, it's like, hold on, that ain't us, that ain't God. Yeah. And so um, I don't know if that really answered your question, but it's it's leaning in to those things. It's allowing space for God to work and and choosing you know the faith over the fear.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. I love that. I love the lean-in piece, right? Yeah. Yeah. That's great. Mm-hmm. Okay, well, so um, I feel like I feel like pressing on that lean-in thing. Yeah. Do you think we covered it like enough?

SPEAKER_01

I don't know. I feel like because what like we had talked about the Jesus mountain. Yeah. And the community mountain and the mission mountain, and like what does that kind of stuff look like in all of those?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

You know, because anybody can can say, can ask Jesus to lead them. Yeah. Whether they're in the Jesus Mountain, like me, I was like, all right, Jesus, I guess I'm gonna believe in you. Like, okay. And that was me kind of like opening the door to to in my way, ask him to lead me. Yep. Before I really fully believed in him. Um, but so like accept like leaning in to what's going on, like accepting what's happening and accepting that that his hand is in it. Yeah. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02

Do you have anything else you want to do? I think it's uh I mean I I think that it's accepting the the offer that Jesus gives us of you know, of um reconciliation, of but but I think that a lot of times like we will grab a gift and we'll open it up and say, Oh, that's so sweet and kind. But we want to actually put it into play, we want to actually put it into use. Yes. And I think leaning in requires ownership on our side. Yeah. So it's understanding like uh like when we talk about the Old Testament and we talk about the New Testament, the Old Covenant, and the New Covenant, and that is receiving the gift of Jesus, like uh um we even go into I feel like I'm going all over the place. So um bear with me for a second. But um we the the um scripture that we were talking about this weekend was Joshua 24. And I I think we see this in so many different places in the Bible where God is like, I like I'm here and I'm available, and I want a relationship, and I want to give you grace, and I want all of these things, but this is what the agreement actually looks like. Yeah, and um and it's our um job and responsibility to know what that is and to know what we're committing to. You know what I mean? Yeah, and so like the the grace of God, like the gift that Jesus gives us is free, yeah, right? But we still also need to engage and we still need to know what our part is. Yeah. And if we don't engage, then we're not actually following Jesus. We're not like that's where drift happens. Like the the decision is I like I know that Jesus said follow me. So, so am I actually gonna follow him? What does it look like to follow him? What is it, you know? Yeah, and so you gotta dive deep into those things and and take ownership of that piece of it and and understand the commitment, you know?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, it's maybe I um yeah, tell me if this is like a little off course here too, but like the the rich man in the Bible who asked Jesus, okay, what do I have to do? And Jesus said, give up everything, and he's like, Yeah, no. Yeah, I'm good. And then I think of Matthew, who was also well off from what we can tell, and he did give up everything. Yeah, right. So the other guy asked and seemed like he was gonna lean in, and then he was like, probably not. But Matthew is in the Bible and a major figure in the Bible now because he did choose to lean in and go all in with Jesus. All in, yeah, right. Yeah, yeah. That's good stuff. And he totally and it totally changed him. Yeah. You know, he really became just so much of a better person and inspi and and changed the course of history with Jesus and everybody.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Yeah. That's good stuff.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Very cool. Well, so what what um another thing that um is really important, which I think I we kind of touched on a little bit, but um I think would be uh good to dive in a little bit deeper is um when you make a decision. You're like, yeah, okay, this is where I'm headed. I've decided what life could look like on the other side of making this decision. Yes. The why behind why I would make this decision. Yes. Like what uh like structural support to me is important. Like what keeps you on track. Yeah. Kind of a thing. Um, I don't know.

SPEAKER_01

Do you have any thoughts on that? I do, and I maybe it's more like I think you're trying to kind of get at the community mission mountain range right now. Yeah. Um, and I have this idea that's more mission mountain, a little bit sort of. Um, but I think about like on my last spiritual retreat, one of the things that happened to me was I was walking under this fruit tree and I felt, and I was like nobody were around, no buildings, it was just nature around me. And the house was behind me, so I like out of sight, out of mind, doesn't exist. I'm in the forest, basically. Yeah, yeah. And I literally felt like I was walking in the for in the in the Garden of Eden with God. It felt, I felt it. Yeah. And and so now, ever since then, if I see a fruit tree that reminds me of that, it's like, oh my gosh, this is like the vision of where I'm going. Yeah. This is a snippet, a little preview.

SPEAKER_02

Like heaven on earth, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, heaven on earth. Yeah. Um, so that's a little bit more like long-term, but when you think about it in community too, you want to surround yourself with other people who think like that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Right?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. You want to surround yourself with people whose intention is to help the people around them to get to heaven also and to have the best life that they can possibly have here and there. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

So so be really intentional about the the people that are in your life, right? Yeah. Yeah. That they're like-minded. And not just so I think that I think we gotta be really careful about that too, because that doesn't that's not to say that you don't want people like in your in your life that don't alig uh align it exactly to that, right? But it's the people that are close, the the people that have influence on it. You've got to be intentional about exactly the influence. Yeah, yeah. Yep. And then habits as well for me is the other thing. It's like what kind of rhythms do I have in place? Like what have I already decided is important that's gonna keep me on track so that the immediate doesn't pull me away.

SPEAKER_01

Doesn't outweigh the eternal. Exactly. Yeah, yeah. Keeps your perspective in on in alignment. Yep, for sure. Yeah. When you made that decision, now you're over here like, oh, do I really want no, I made that decision. I do want to. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Yep. And does this thing that is like vying for my attention like match up with that? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, exactly. Yeah, yeah. That's cool. Yeah. So then for the mission mountain, what do you think would be um kind of a good way of looking at the decision versus drift if you're on your way towards the mission mountain or if you're on the mission mountain, what are some things that can help keep you on track?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. I think that um the thing that that draws me in as far as mission goes is uh is the idea that I know that God has had an impact in my life and that he's drawing me to a certain direction, like certain target. He's pulling me in that direction. Yeah. Um, and uh, and it's been good, you know? Yeah. Even the hard, even the struggle, even the challenge, it's all good. Yeah. And um, and so I want to be able to um um reveal that in one way or another to the people around me. Yeah, and bring them with me. Like I have this, I was telling a friend, like I I have this picture in my head sometimes of you know, walking down a path. You know, we started talking about that, right? Yep. Um, walking down a path, and um, I'm just walking uh a path with a whole bunch of other people, and we're all headed in the same way. And uh, you know, sometimes when you're hiking or when you're walking and the road gets bumpy, somebody falls, and you lean over and you pick that person up and you help them up. And sometimes I'm in a trip and fall, and somebody else is gonna pick me up and and we're gonna walk together, right? Yeah. And as we're walking down this path, more and more people are joining, and we just keep on doing it more and more with more and more people, right? And so that's that's kind of the vision that I have is that we're all walking on this path to to Jesus. Yeah. And um, and I uh like the idea behind that that really is powerful is that when I know that I am being obedient, when I know that I am um aligning with God, then he's gonna use me, right? Yeah, totally. In Acts 13, 22, um uh I don't even remember who it is that that says it, but he they point back to David and they say David was a man after God's heart. And the reason why he was used the way that he was used is because God knew that he would um he would what what is it that he would execute his plans exactly. Yeah, and so he replaced Saul with the king of David, yep, with King David. So that because he knew that, because because he knew that David would uh um uh exactly like execute his plans the way that he wanted them to be. Yep. And so the vision for me is my friends and my family and the people that I know and that I love meeting Jesus.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

And um I get to be a part of that because God can use me if I'm being obedient, yes, and if I'm um staying aligned and if I'm doing the things that God is calling me to do, right? Yep, and that again, it requires a lot of discernment, it requires a lot of commitment, it's it requires a decision, yes, and a willingness.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, you have to decide you're gonna do it and you're gonna listen, even if it's hard and you're willing to do it. There's so many in the people, people in the Bible who God called and they were like, I don't know. And he was and they were like, I'm too young, I'm too old, I'm too whatever. And I can't speak right. I don't yes, and then God said whatever he said to them, and then they were like, Okay, I'm doing it anyways. And so they had made that decision to do it. They were willing. Yep. Yeah, that's good stuff.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, very cool. Well, is there any like encouragement to anybody who might be listening who is standing at the fork of the road, and you're like, if you could say one thing to them, what would that be?

SPEAKER_01

I think it would be if you're feeling like something needs to change. If you're feeling like a tension, if you're feeling uh a push, a nudge, a whisper, to kind of try out a different path, and especially if the path that you're on is feeling like it's destructive, or if it's feeling like gosh, I feel like I I can grow more. Doesn't necessarily have to be because you're in a bad spot, right? It could just be because you're like, I'm feeling a call to be a higher call.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Right? So if you're feeling something like that, yeah, like lean into people that you know that are making wise decisions and lean into reading your Bible more and lean into going to church and and that type of stuff, and and just open, even just ask ask Jesus to lead you, just as simple as that. Like, Jesus, can you please lead me?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

That's awesome. I love it.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. And then take open ownership of what it is that he says and and engage right.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, and like Rita had mentioned with you, the when you asked her on the podcast with her, it was okay, what do you do when you hear God? What's the next step? And she said, like, don't dismiss it. Yeah. Right? So, okay, I am I hearing God, filter it through the things, and then if it is in alignment with all that stuff, do something about it. Choose. Yeah. Make that decision. Make a decision. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Thanks, Rachel, for joining me in this conversation. I love like batting this stuff around. So I know it's no fun.

unknown

Cool.

SPEAKER_02

All right, guys. Well, thanks for joining us on this midweek motivation, and we'll catch you next week.

SPEAKER_00

We hope you enjoyed this episode of Midweek Motivation. To make sure you don't miss any content in the future, please subscribe, share, and if you enjoyed this, give us a like and consider popping by a Westside service some weekend. You can find out more at Westside Community Church.com.